Arellano, Hazelton-Tarango, Rivera 1

Corina Arellano, Morgan Hazelton-Tarango, Miriam Rivera

Spacht

Adv. Freshman English Pd. 6

14 February 2019

Men and Women During the Depression: Shifting Roles in American Culture

I. WORK

A. Men

1. "It was a time when the number of women in the workplace actually

increased, which helped needy families but only added to the

psychological strain on the American male, the traditional ‘breadwinner’

of the American family" (Pells and Romer, 2019)

a. Men could not provide for the family by themselves anymore.

b. Not enough money from one job- everyone who could work had to

help support the family.

2. “For millions of American men who lost their jobs during the Great

Depression, the loss of the ability to provide for their families posed a

direct threat to their sense of manhood” (“Gender Roles and Sexual

Relations…”, 2004)

a. Men who could not make enough money for their families felt

discouraged and angry at themselves- their role as the breadwinner

had to be shared with the women in order to make enough

b. Lack of jobs threatened the man’s role in the family

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B. Women

1. “They lost jobs at a higher rate than did men in the early years of the

collapse, were often unable to find other sources of income, and were

routinely discriminated against in public employment” (Abelson 106).

a) Women struggled to find jobs.

b) Women were not viewed as equals to men. Finding jobs was often

harder for them.

2. “Women constituted more than 25 percent of the total labor force in the

United States in the 1930s- over ten million women were working out of

the home at the beginning of the decade, and over three million of them

were married” ( Abelson 106)

a) The number of women in the labor force increased, society still

viewed women as a stay at home moms, cooks, cleaners, etc.-

needed to work to survive.

b) Over 3 million women were most likely working to help support a

family and help their husbands

C. This image is an example of the struggle for employment present in the 1930s.

The photograph shows women protesting against unemployment and demanding

jobs in New York in 1933. Women were more abundant in the workforce during

the Great Depression and they faced many hardships. The women pictured were

united under a cause and most likely felt hopeless, frustrated, and angry. The
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photograph probably served as a call to action for other women across the

country.

1. What emotions do you think the women in the photograph are feeling?

2. What are they protesting for?

3. What do their signs convey about society at the time?

4. Describe the background. Where do you think this photograph was taken?

5. Do you think that this image inspired women? What do you think it

inspired them to do?

II. DOMESTIC LIFE AND HOMELESSNESS

A. Men

1. “It was bad enough for a man's ego to be unable to provide; it was worse

for him to become dependent on a woman.” (Encyclopedia)

a) Men had to depend on women, “threatening” their masculinity.

b) Often times this factor would get in the way of the relationship

between the couple, causing conflict in their home life.

2. “A 1940 survey revealed that 1.5 million married women had been

abandoned by their husbands.”(Eyewitness to History)

a) Men walked out on their wives and family out of frustration.

b) Men were often played the role of the breadwinner in the family,

so when they could not find jobs during The Depression, one can

imagine that they felt hopeless. So they leave their frustration

behind knowing that they can't provide for their family.

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B. Women

1. “Women’s magazines and radio shows taught Depression-era homemakers

how to stretch their food budget with casseroles and one-pot

meals”(Konkel).

a) Women were shown how to make their food supply last longer.

b) The fact that these tips were targeted towards women in women’s

magazines goes to show how life at home was for them during the

depression: cooking and providing for their family.

2. “It’s estimated that more than two million men and women became

traveling hobos.”(Konkel)

a) Life was very difficult during these times, homelessness was

extremely common.

b) Homelessness was inevitable in many cases.

C. The photograph “A Family of Migrant Workers in Blythe, California” presents the

hardships that they and many others went through. The tree in the background and

the blankets on the ground indicate that these people lived outside; they most

likely couldn’t afford to live in a house. Their facial expressions and dirty

complexion show that they are not at peace, with the woman looking worried and

the man distressed. Their child barely had any clothes on, their feet dirty and bare.

This was one of the many homeless cases within the U.S. during the Great

Depression.

1. What does their attire say about the way they lived?
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2. Take a look at their facial expressions. What do you think was going

through their heads?

3. Based on the surrounding environment, what are some ways to describe

their day to day life at home?

4. Is their “house” well protected? Why or why not?

5. How often do you think a family like this had to live in the open?

III. SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL

A. Men

1. “Family disputes over finances, food, and other basic necessities caused

tensions to increase. Men and boys often simply fled the home out of

embarrassment, frustration, or the inability to cope with the new economic

reality.” (“Psychological Impact…”, 2004)

a) Men and boys sometimes fled their households because of the shift

in roles, women were becoming the breadwinners.

b) Men and boys did not like the role shift during the great

depression.

2. However, the national suicide rate did increase in late 1929 and continued

to increase until 1933—from 13.9 per 100,000 to an all-time high of 17.4

per 100,000.” (“Psychological Impact…”, 2004)

a) Because of their role changes and many other things, the suicide

rate during the great depression increased by about 5%.

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b) The depression cause the suicide rate for men to increase heavily

and reach an all time high in those times.

B. Women

1. “Her husband might not be the family’s true breadwinner, but the good

farm woman behaved as though he were.” (Bye)

a) There was a shift in roles between men and women in the

depression, but some females had to act as if the men were the

money makers when in reality was women. Society still saw men

as breadwinners, even though women were doing all the work.

b) Shift in roles during the great depression.

2. “Like so many others during the Depression, working-class housewives

were offering their own solutions to the failure of the U.S. economic

system.”

a) Women used the depression as a way to solve their problems.

b) The shift in women’s roles in society, women started trying to

solve their own problems throughout society.

C. The photograph “Man beside wheelbarrow represents the social hardships both

men and women went through in the Great Depression. In this image, you

immediately are drawn to the man in the center. He has his head in his hands

sitting down with what looks like sorrow. Right next to him is his wheelbarrow,

probably barely used with the lack of work opportunities during the Great
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Depression. This photograph shows the sorrow someone feels after a day during

the depression, with lack of work, food, and a good mindset.

1. Where are your eyes drawn to first?

2. What emotions does the man's position show?

3. Where was this photograph taken?

4. What is happening in the image?

5. How does the frame affect the overall feeling of this picture?
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Works Cited

Abelson, Elaine S. “‘Women Who Have No Men to Work for Them’: Gender and Homelessness

in the Great Depression, 1930-1934.” Feminist Studies, vol. 29, no. 1, 2003. MAS Ultra-

School Edition. Accessed 28 January 2019.

“America in the 1930s.” EyeWitness to History, 2000. Accessed 6 February 2019.

Bye, Cristine Georgina. “‘I Like to Hoe My Own Row’: A Saskatchewan Farm Woman's

Notions about Work and Womanhood during the Great Depression.” Frontiers: A Journal

of Women Studies, vol. 26, no. 3, September 2005. Advanced Placement Source.

Accessed 6 February 2019.

“Forgotten Women,” unemployed and single, in job demand parade. 7 December 1933. Library

of Congress, Accessed 11 February 2019.

“Gender Roles and Sexual Relations, Impact of the Great Depression on.” Encyclopedia, 2004.

Accessed 6 February 2019.

Konkel, Lindsey. “Life for the Average Family During the Great Depression.” National

Geographic, 19 April 2018. Accessed 6 February 2019.

Lange, Dorothea. A family of migrant workers in Blythe, California. 1936. History, Accessed 7

February 2019.

Lange, Dorothea. Man Beside Wheelbarrow. 1934, Oakland Museum of California. California

Perspectives of American History, Accessed 7 February 2019.

Pells, Richard and Christina Romer. “Great Depression.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 10 January

2019. Accessed 6 February 2019.

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“Psychological Impact of the Great Depression.” Encyclopedia, 2004. Accessed 6 February

2019.